The Sudden Star Read Online Free PDF Page B

moving a muscle, never taking her eyes off Simon. Her black hair was pulled back into a knot on her neck. A long scar ran down her face from her temple to her chin. Her yellowish eyes were like a cat's. Simon hated those eyes; they made him nervous. She would protect René, at least until she decided it was time for him to die so she could take over.
    "Negron," René said, interrupting the examination, "I want to tell you something."
    "Go ahead."
    The gray-haired man cleared his throat. "I want a cure."
    Simon chuckled. "You've got to stop going off your diet," he answered. "You'll have to be more rigorous about your insulin injections. Stop drinking. Keep a regular schedule and rest. You're an old man. You've got to be more careful."
    "Can't do it," the old man said. "I have to look after things. And I didn't come this far so I could lie around watching other people enjoy themselves." René's voice still retained the lilting tones of his West Indian birthplace.
    Simon walked over to the window where Karenga was standing. René was able to live on the first floor of his building because he knew that his personal guards would protect him. In front of the building stood fifteen armed men; others patrolled the street. The police usually avoided René's building, and the pushers, runners, and whores who were René's employees avoided the police. The street on which René's building stood was one of the safer streets in the city.
    He noticed two tanks coming down the street and was curious. "What's going on?" he asked Karenga quietly. Karenga looked out.
    "I don't know. They don't usually—" Karenga pulled away, reaching for his gun, then dropped it to the floor. Simon turned and saw that Ortega had her pistol pointed at them. His stomach knotted. They were coming for Sam, he thought. He and Toby and the other kids had just seen the truck standing there, and nobody was looking, so they just grabbed some stuff and started running. ...
    "I think we had better not trouble them too much," the old man said. "I have tried to keep my relations with our police force peaceful." He pushed a button near his bed. Three men entered the room with guns and pointed them at Simon and Karenga.
    Simon moved behind Sam and away from the window. So Simon had seen the guards coming, and pushed Toby in front of him when they fired, and ran like hell, but they would have gotten Toby anyway, he was so fucking slow ...
    "Disarm yourselves, please," René was saying. "I'll give you your weapons back when these police have gone." Simon put down his knife. He felt unbalanced, and quickly sat down. His knees were shaking. Karenga stared in front of himself and dropped his own knife next to his gun.
    Three policemen were approaching the armed men at the door. They talked for a few seconds and then entered. Simon heard their heels clatter in the hallway. The door opened and they entered the room.
    "Simon Negron and Samuel Karenga," one of the men said, "you are under arrest. The charge is the illegal practice of medicine. You have the right to remain silent unless asked a direct question about this charge, you have a right to have an attorney present only after questioning has taken place, you do not have a right to contact anyone until after charges have been filed—"
    Simon listened, not hearing, dizzy and stunned.
    "—I said, do you understand your rights?"
    Simon started, then nodded.
    René sighed. "Well, Lieutenant Morris, I suppose you'll have to take my insulin as evidence."
    "We can leave you most of it." Morris motioned to one of his men, who began to pour some of the insulin into a smaller bottle.
    The old man looked at Simon. "I'm truly sorry, Doctor. I had a feeling they might pick you up soon, but I certainly didn't think they'd do it this quickly." Simon tried to stand, but could not. His hands shook. But Toby was better off dead. They would hang you at the prison farms, after they practically worked you to death first....
    "We've been following